Louise d'Épinay Early life[edit] Louise d'Épinay was born at the fortress of Valenciennes, where her father, Tardieu d'Esclavelles, a brigadier of infantry, was commanding officer. After her father was killed in battle when she was ten, she was sent to Paris in the care of an aunt who was married to Louis-Denis de La Live de Bellegarde, an immensely wealthy fermier-général, a collector-general of taxes; treated to the stultifying education that was a girl's lot, in 1745 she married her cousin Denis Joseph de La Live d'Épinay,[3] who was made a fermier-général.[4] The marriage was at once an unhappy one; and the prodigality, dissipation and infidelities of her husband justified her in obtaining a formal separation of assets[5] in May 1749. Liaisons[edit] Her intimacy with Grimm, which began in 1755, marks a turning-point in her life, for under his influence she escaped from the somewhat compromising conditions of her life at La Chevrette. L'Histoire de Madame de Montbrillant[edit] Other works[edit]
Tertullian Unlike many Church fathers, Tertullian was never recognized as a saint by the Eastern or Western catholic tradition churches. Several of his teachings on issues such as the clear subordination of the Son and Spirit to the Father,[12][14] and his condemnation of remarriage for widows and of fleeing from persecution, contradicted the doctrines of these traditions. Life[edit] Scant reliable evidence exists to inform us about Tertullian's life; most history about him comes from passing references in his own writings. Roman Africa was famous as the home of orators and this influence can be seen in his writing style with its archaisms or provincialisms, its glowing imagery and its passionate temper. He was a scholar with an excellent education. Further, Tertullian has been thought to be a lawyer based on his use of legal analogies and an identification of him with the jurist Tertullianus, who is quoted in the Pandects. His conversion to Christianity perhaps took place about 197–198 (cf. 1. 1.
Edward Gibbon English historian and Member of Parliament Edward Gibbon FRS (; 8 May 1737[1][2] – 16 January 1794) was an English historian, writer and Member of Parliament. His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788 and is known for the quality and irony of its prose, its use of primary sources, and its polemical criticism of organised religion.[3] Early life: 1737–1752[edit] Edward Gibbon was born in 1737, the son of Edward and Judith Gibbon at Lime Grove, in the town of Putney, Surrey. He had six siblings: five brothers and one sister, all of whom died in infancy. Oxford, Lausanne, and a religious journey: 1752–1758[edit] Within weeks of his conversion, the adolescent was removed from Oxford and sent to live under the care and tutelage of Daniel Pavillard, Reformed pastor of Lausanne, Switzerland. Thwarted romance[edit] First fame and the grand tour: 1758–1765[edit] Early career: 1765–1776[edit] Legacy[edit]
Friedrich Melchior, Baron von Grimm Friedrich Melchior Baron von Grimm (1769), engraved by John Swaine Friedrich Melchior, Baron von Grimm (26 December 1723 – 19 December 1807) was a German-born French-language journalist, art critic, diplomat and contributor to the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers.[2] In 1765 Grimm wrote Poème lyrique, an influential article for the Encyclopédie on lyric and opera librettos.[3][4][5][6][7] Like Christoph Willibald Gluck Grimm became interested in opera reform. According to Martin Fontius, a German literary theorist, "sooner or later a book entitled The Aesthetic Ideas of Grimm will have to be written."[8] Early years[edit] Correspondance littéraire[edit] Louise d'Épinay (1726–1783) In 1753, following the example of the abbé Raynal, and with the latter's encouragement, Grim began a literary newsletter with various German sovereigns. The correspondence of Grimm was strictly confidential and was not divulged during his lifetime. Connections[edit] J.
Molière French playwright and actor (1622–1673) Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ batist pɔklɛ̃], [pɔkəlɛ̃]; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ,[1][2][3] French: [mɔljɛʁ]), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world literature. His extant works include comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed at the Comédie-Française more often than those of any other playwright today.[4] His influence is such that the French language is often referred to as the "language of Molière".[5] Born into a prosperous family and having studied at the Collège de Clermont (now Lycée Louis-le-Grand), Molière was well suited to begin a life in the theatre. Despite the adulation of the court and Parisians, Molière's satires attracted criticism from other circles. Life[edit]
Philosophes The philosophes (French for "philosophers") were the intellectuals of the 18th-century Enlightenment.[1] Few were primarily philosophers; rather, philosophes were public intellectuals who applied reason to the study of many areas of learning, including philosophy, history, science, politics, economics, and social issues. They had a critical eye and looked for weaknesses and failures that needed improvement. They promoted a "republic of letters" that crossed national boundaries and allowed intellectuals to freely exchange books and ideas. Most philosophes were men, but some were women. They strongly endorsed progress and tolerance, and distrusted organized religion (most were deists) and feudal institutions.[2] Many contributed to Diderot's Encyclopédie. Characterization[edit] Between 1740 and 1789, the Enlightenment acquired its name and, despite heated conflicts between the philosophes and state and religious authorities, gained support in the highest reaches of government. Notes[edit]
Sophie d'Houdetot A contemporary portrait of the Countess of Houdetot Elisabeth Françoise Sophie Lalive de Bellegarde, Comtesse d'Houdetot (18 December 1730 – 28 January 1813) was a French noblewoman. She is remembered primarily for the brief but intense love she inspired in Jean-Jacques Rousseau in 1757, but she was also for fifty years in a relationship with the poet and academician Jean François de Saint-Lambert. Background[edit] Daughter of the unwealthy tax-collector Louis de Robertier Denis Lalive de Bellegarde and his wife Marie Dickx Josèphe Prouveur, Sophie married Claude Constant César, Comte d' Houdetot, an army brigadier, at the Saint-Roch church in Paris on 28 February 1748. Her acquaintances praised Sophie d'Houdetot for her generosity and intelligence rather than for her beauty. Rousseau Gomez gave this description of her in his Confessions: Relationship with Rousseau[edit] What happened next has been, and continues to be, much debated. Later life[edit] Notes[edit] References[edit]
Albert Camus French author and journalist Albert Camus ( kam-OO, kə-MOO, French: [albɛʁ kamy] ( Philosophically, Camus's views contributed to the rise of the philosophy known as absurdism, a movement reacting against the rise of nihilism. Life[edit] Early years and education[edit] A 20th-century postcard of the University of Algiers Albert Camus was born on 7 November 1913 in a working-class neighbourhood in Mondovi (present-day Dréan), in French Algeria. Under the influence of his teacher Louis Germain, Camus gained a scholarship in 1924 to continue his studies at a prestigious lyceum (secondary school) near Algiers. Formative years[edit] In 1934, aged 20, Camus was in a relationship with Simone Hié. Camus joined the French Communist Party (PCF) in early 1935. World War II, Resistance and Combat[edit] Soon after Camus moved to Paris, the outbreak of World War II began to affect France. Post-World War II[edit] Death[edit] Albert Camus's gravestone Literary career[edit] Political stance[edit] Philosophy[edit]